More than 50 mountain-bike enthusiasts hit the Michigan Tech Trails on Saturday morning for the third-annual Keweenaw Tread Fest. It was a beautiful day for a ride with temperatures hovering around 70 degrees and a course well-marked and ready to be ridden.

The day consisted of three races. First ones out of the starting shoot were the expert riders. Around a dozen peddlers took off and did two loops around the arduous Tech Trails system.

The largest group of racers were those in the sport class. Around 40 riders sped onto the trails for a 14-mile trek through the woods.

Trailing behind them were a handful of beginners who peddled a nine-mile race.

Roughly 30 minutes into the event, the cowbells began ringing and whoops and hollers could be heard from the handful of spectators who came out to support family and friends who were racing.

The claps and cheering were for Greg Green who won the nine-mile beginner race.

The self-described “old duffer” from Calumet said the secret to his success was to keep going despite being out of breath basically the whole ride.

“There was one scary moment,” he said. “There was a loop to loop embankment that I almost didn’t make and it would have meant a 14-foot fall for me.”

Nick Renke, a student at Michigan Technical University (MTU) won the 14-mile race crossing the finish line with around a 1:15.00 time. The Rochester, Minnesota, native said that he rides these trails all the time so he know where to go and not to go.

Not too far behind him was Piersan Kimmes who is also a student at MTU studying biological sciences. She was the first woman to cross the finish line in the 14-mile run.

Splattered with mud freckles across her face, she credited her success to being a student as we ll and able to get on the university’s trails often.

After the last of the 14-mile riders came through there was a lull in the action as riders and fans waited for the first one out of the woods and making the climb to the grassy finish line. At a little past the two-hour mark, Sam Kilpela from Atlantic Mine appeared out of the woods, peddling hard.

“I thought I knew every rock, root and wet spot on this trail,” he said shortly after dismounting his mud-caked bike. “But they made the course a little bit more challenging.”

Overnight storms that devastated the area., causing the cancelation of Sunday’s inaugural Tread Fest Run. Despite that, organizers Tom Smith and Jake Isaacson said Saturday’s activities were a success.

David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette
A competitor rides during Saturday’s Keweenaw Tread Fest on the Michigan Tech Trails.

Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette
Riders in the expert class work their bikes through the Tech Trails Saturday.